Government

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a letter it hasn't weighed in on the issue of who should control Charlotte Douglas International Airport because the city has not asked it to do so. The state General Assembly last year passed a bill transferring control of the airport to a regional commission, but Charlotte City Council won a temporary injunction that blocks the commission from running the airport.

Following the California Public Employees' Retirement System's decision to divest its hedge fund portfolio, the State Employees Association of North Carolina urged state Treasurer Janet Cowell to withdraw N.C.'s hedge fund investments, which accounted for about 4.32% of total assets as of June 30.

Gov. Pat McCrory and state Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker kicked off a 100-day "listening tour" to hear first hand about employers' needs across the state. The feedback will be used in planning course and program offerings for colleges and K-12 schools in an effort to close the skills gap facing many companies today.

A three-judge panel from the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va. will meet in Charlotte Thursday to decide whether North Carolina's new election law is discriminatory and should be put on hold for the Nov. 4 election. Critics say the law discriminates against African-Americans and Latinos by making it harder for them to vote.

U.S. Rep Renee Ellmers and Democratic challenger Clay Aiken will participate in a televised debate on Oct. 6 in Pinehurst. The debate will be sponsored by the N.C. Bankers Association and moderated by WRAL's David Crabtree.

Following a recent trip to Japan, N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker says she feels "very good" about the state's prospects for attracting an auto manufacturer. Earlier this year, North Carolina lost a Toyota plant to Texas, which has direct flights to Tokyo, despite offering more than double the amount of incentives. "I came back very motivated for us to get direct flights to Asia," Decker said after the 36-hour flight home.

An 11-member commission tasked with replacing Common Core in North Carolina public schools began a review the state's academic standards on Monday. The state legislature passed a bill in July to evaluate the standards, which were first adopted in North Carolina in 2010.

Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker and other department officials spent four days in Tokyo last week, attending an annual conference with officials from other Southeastern states and meeting with auto and auto-related businesses. North Carolina has three "megasites" at various stages of development that could attract a major auto-maker.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture sent a letter to state Health Secretary Aldona Wos citing 38 regulatory deficiencies in North Carolina's food-stamp program. The letter and accompanying report was based on a fiscal 2014 management evaluation of the state program and programs in Guilford, Pitt and Wake counties.

Gov. Pat McCrory announced a 25-year transportation plan that puts a major emphasis on improving roads and accessibility in rural areas. McCrory said he will ask the 2015 legislature to approve revenue bonds for highway projects. The plan also calls for expanding light rail and mass transit in urban areas and improving rail and road links from the ports to I-95 and the military bases. Click here to view the governor's 25-year transportation plan.